Just think with 4 Etherium Sculpters on the field this is 4 mana for a 6/6!
PocketUniverse
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Even though I only have one of these in an Esper-deck, it's such a dealbreaker once it comes into play. Etherium Sculptors are absolutely necessary in order for this one to ever see the light of day but once you've got those and some kind of tutor to fetch it, it's murder.
Smoked_Peasant
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Also his art is awesome.
Dingo777
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
how about an enigma sphinx, cant cascade into one of these guys, but you can get the sphinx summoner and play this buy next turn (you had 7 mana to play enigma, another mana and we have the soveregin)
CptAwsm
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Master Transmuter,1000 year elixer,Sharrum the Hedgemon,and this guy....lovely little trick.
Godaime
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
well it does combo well, but for some reason, I like sphinx of the steel wind better than this guy.
Saxophonist
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
Really great card, IMO. Oh, and the answer to the riddle is wind.
SwordSkill
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Too many mana...
wolfbear2
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I'm sorry, I find him absolutly terrable. He cost to much for what he does, and all the ways to cheat him into play would rather just grab a darksteel collosum.
Blitztanis
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
People just forget that this card must come with the Sphinx's Herald, my deck can put this sphinx on the 4th turn, that is really good.
And we can't forget that we can just put 1 sphinx sovereign with sphinx's heralds (with the other color creatures) on the deck to have it on the battlefield.
Snaxme
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Sphinx Herald? That only generates card disadvantage. The next turn your Sovereign would just get bitchslapped by a Maelstrom Pulse, Pathed, Purged, pick your poison. And that's just in T2. Master Transmuter is the way to go. If the Sphinx did get hit, at least you didn't sac every other creature you had in play for nothing.
VoidedNote
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I like this card, its a real powerful effect, and even helps you at a standstill. But it still pales in comparison to Godsire and the Prince, I'd say it ties the Overlord.
This card is a loser if you don't have Master Transmuter in your deck with this.
distinctactuality
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I don't think he's as bad as some of you make out, he'll kill your opponent in just a couple of turns if he can get through, and will still hurt your opponent even if he doesn't. What's really insulting about him though is that he's in the same cycle as Hellkite Overlord, which makes this guy look terrible.
Sironos
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Overcosted, plain and simple. Of course you can cheat it out since it is an artifact creature, but hard casting it is simply too expensive. At 8 multi coloured mana you need something devastating (I'm looking at you reiver demon, which is even mono), not a life advantage of 3 every turn.
Johnald
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Very versatile. Ought to be rated higher than it is. 6/6 flyer for 8 with a solid second ability is nice. A potential 9 lost life on your oppoent when it attacks or 3 life if you just let it sit there for blocking later. (There are plenty of ways to manipulate this guy however you want like Fate-Stitcher)
It's ability is a riddle meant to make you wonder if it is any good or not. A 6/6 flier is a 6/6 flier. But this is little more than that. I got 4 for a dollar on ebay.
Gezus82
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(4 votes)
helm of the ghastlord is so much fun with this, especially in multiplayer games. 8 players they each discard a card and you draw 7. ftw
mn6334
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Helm of the Ghastlord won't work with this things ability. HotG needs to deal damage to do anything, this just makes the players lose life.
Very cool card. Also too much mana. It's a shame. It should cost 2 less colorless.
HoboColin
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Damn, you all got to the ridles answer before me! Lol, grait work by the creative team tho, dont yall think? Hm, the mana is high, but the tools are there if you just have to play him. Im gona have to by one 'cause i opend two heralds! curse my casual colection! Grait work by the marketing team to... h.
BlackAlbino
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Not worth it, not bad, but not good enough. *coughs* Sphinx of the Steel Wind If I could switch the art on the two I would
NoFace22
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
works well in the archenemy deck
RowanKeltizar
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is meant to be cheated out with Master Transmuter forget the Herald.
I like the mechanics of this card: "If they're attacking with it, they're probably wanting the opponent dead faster. If it's remaining untapped and blocking, they're probably needing a little bit of a life boost."
Totema
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Some kind of toothless zombie snake?
dberry02
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
8 mana is not overcosted. This is not legendary.
Just think how wrong this would be if you cheated more than 1 in play or managed to Rite of Replication it?
Dragasm
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Just want to clear up real fast that this is a female sphinx as well as a very useful card to clone/replicate. My work here is done...
Arachnos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Guys, so what if it costs too much mana. You don't cast something like this. You cheat it into play, probably by reanimating it, or with something like Elvish Piper.
Made her (his?) home in my Sharuum commander deck.
Tsagaglalal
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
umm...Wind.
IamjustnotCreative
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
what rises without legs, whispers without a voice, bites without teeth, and dies without having lifeForce of Savagery! It doesn't have any legs, it's just a bunch of tentacle things. It doesn't have a mouth, so no voice. No mouth = no teeth and with Pandemonium, it doesn't need teeth to bite. Dies the instant it comes into existence.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Esper got the shaft in the "Sovereign" cycle, just like they got the shaft in the Ultimatum cycle. Prince of Thralls was bigger and comboriffic, Hellkite Overlord was the essence of TIMMAH, Godsire could attack and put out absurdly big tokens each and every turn, and Empyrial Archangel was absurdly hard to remove and did a great job protecting its controller. Compared to them, Sphinx Sovereign is rather "meh". But that was OK, because in Alara Reborn, Esper got cyborg Akroma.
BorosGreengrocer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Currently the lowest-rated Sphinx on Gatherer, but still not all that bad. Good show, Sphinxes.
Comments (41)
And we can't forget that we can just put 1 sphinx sovereign with sphinx's heralds (with the other color creatures) on the deck to have it on the battlefield.
4.5/5
It's ability is a riddle meant to make you wonder if it is any good or not. A 6/6 flier is a 6/6 flier. But this is little more than that. I got 4 for a dollar on ebay.
The Wind
Hellkite Overlord even makes Baneslayer Angel look terrible.
*coughs* Sphinx of the Steel Wind
If I could switch the art on the two I would
"If they're attacking with it, they're probably wanting the opponent dead faster.
If it's remaining untapped and blocking, they're probably needing a little bit of a life boost."
Just think how wrong this would be if you cheated more than 1 in play or managed to Rite of Replication it?
...or Sphinx's Herald if you really must.